Advanced Grammar — Modals, Modifiers & Scope

Scope patterns, verb modals, contrastive expressions, noun/adjective modifiers, and variation/progress expressions.

Scope & Degree

Only

Expression	Meaning
だけ／ばかり	Most basic "only (excluding other things)"
のみ	More formal than だけ
に限げんり	Limit is imposed by the speaker
に過かぎない	"only just a..." (inconsequential thing/amount)

Followed by verbs other than だ.

Not only, (but also...)

Always followed by an "also" element marked with も, さえ, or まで.

Expression	Meaning
だけではなく	not only (basic)
ばかりでなく	not only (emphasis)
のみならず	not only (formal)
に限げんらず	not limited to

Advanced Expressions 上

Expression	Meaning
〜のみならず	Not only (followed by facts only)
はもちろんのこと	Of course ~, but also...
〜もさることながら	of course ~
〜ながら	while ~ is...
〜ないまでも	not stopping at...

Not even, (much less)

Not Even

Something even more surprising or extreme.

上〜どころか〜はおろか

not even / much less

The reality is far from what was expected — something even more extreme is true

彼(かれ)は仕事(しごと)を探(さが)すどころか家(いえ)を出(で)ない。

He won't even leave the house, much less search for a job.

Entirely 上

Expression	Meaning
[N] だらけ	Having ~ all over. dust/holes/scratches/mistakes/debt/etc. (bad things only)
[N] ずくめ	Pitch (black), One ~ after another (events). 尽くめ
[N] まみれ	Covered in (powder), Drenched in (liquid). blood, sweat, mud. 塗れ

上N〜ずくめ

one ~ after another / entirely ~

去年(きょねん)の夏(なつ)は就職(しゅうしょく)や結婚(けっこん)、うれしいことずくめだった。

Last summer I found a job, got married, it was one happy thing after another.

Verb Forms & Modals

~U〜べき

ideal course of action

Expresses what one should do — a moral or logical obligation

法律(ほうりつ)のことは山田(やまだ)さんに聞(き)くべきだ。

Regarding legal matters, it would be best to ask Mrs. Yamada.

Form	Meaning
べく	Adverb form (states the purpose of an action)
すべき	shortened form of する + べき
なるべく	"whenever possible"
~U べくもない	"it is impossible to..." [上]
~U べくして [PAST]	~ happened exactly as expected

Archaic forms: べし　べからず (neg.)　べからざる (neg.) 古

Nな〜はずADJ〜はずVERB〜はず

expectation based on evidence or experience

Something is expected to be true based on reasoning or prior knowledge

先週(せんしゅう)の水曜日(すいようび)に送(おく)ったから、もうすぐ届(とど)くはずです。

Since I sent it last Wednesday, I expect that it will arrive soon.

Expression	Meaning
~はずがない	"There's no way that ~" (emphatic)
~はずだ	~ is expected to/should occur
[NAI] はず	~ is expected to/should not occur

Nの〜つもりADJ〜つもりVERB〜つもり

intention / plan

Expresses one's personal intention or belief about a situation

冗談(じょうだん)のつもりで言(い)ったのに彼女(かのじょ)は怒(おこ)ってしまった。

Even though I said it intending it as a joke, she got angry.

Expression	Meaning
~つもりはない	"I have no intention of..."
~U/NAI つもりだ	"I have plans to..."
なんのつもり？ / どういうつもり？	"What do you think you're doing?" [!!]

Nな〜わけADJ〜わけVERB〜わけ

underlying, logical reason or circumstance

Kanji: 訳
Expresses an underlying reason or logical conclusion

そろそろ出来上(できあ)がるわけだから、宣伝(せんでん)のことを考(かんが)えよう。

Since the product will be finished soon, let's think about marketing.

Expression	Meaning
~U わけにはいけない	cannot
NAI わけにはいけない	must (cannot not)

Emphasis / Softening with わけ

好きなわけがない — "it's impossible to like" (emphatic negative)
好きではない — "dislike" (neutral)
好きなわけではない — "don't really like" (softened)

な is interchangeable with という or って in this usage.

Nの〜振りVERB〜振り

pretending to

Acts as if something is the case when it is not

知(し)らない振(ふ)りは止(や)めてくださいよ。

Please stop pretending that you don't know it.

書N〜か否かADJ〜か否かVERB〜か否か

whether or not

Formal expression for presenting two possibilities

正(ただ)しいか否(いな)か私(わたし)には分(わ)からない。

Whether it is correct or not, is not known to me.

書~U〜や否や

no sooner than / as soon as ~

The second action occurs immediately after the first

Conjunctive / Contrastive

上Nの〜反面ADJ〜反面VERB〜反面

while being... (contradiction)

Simultaneously holds two contrasting qualities

この計画(けいかく)は有望(ゆうぼう)な反面(はんめん)、詳細(しょうさい)が足(た)りない。

Although this project is promising, it doesn't have sufficient details.

上N〜ならではの

like you can only get from/in

Something unique to a particular source or place

京都(きょうと)ならではの高級(こうきゅう)日本料理(にほんりょうり)を食(た)べてみたい。

I want to try high-class Japanese cuisine like you can only find in Kyoto.

上VERB〜一方で

while being... (no contradiction)

Two things coexist without necessarily contrasting

彼女(かのじょ)は有能(ゆうのう)な科学者(かがくしゃ)である一方(いっぽう)で、起業家(きぎょうか)でもある。

He is an entrepreneur in addition to being a capable scientist.

Expression	Meaning
一いち方ほうだ	continues (unstated trend)
一いち方ほう	"On the other hand," (used as a conjunction)

Noun & Adjective Modifiers

N to ADJ

Suffix	Meaning
国こく際さい的てきな (こくさいてき)	Having international characteristics
彼ひ女じょらしい (かのじょ)	typical of her
車しゃみたいな (くるま)	Makes you think of a car / Could possibly be a car
車しゃのような (くるま)	Commonly associated with a car
子し供きょうっぽい (こども)	Commonly associated with children
和わ風ふうの (わふう)	Japanese-style (-esque)

Other "style"s: 式 (design) 流 (way/method)

Indirect

Form	Meaning
行こうくそうだ	I've heard he will go
行こうくらしい	I've heard/it seems he will go
行こうくみたいだ	It looks like he will go
行こうくようだ	There's evidence that he will go

Used after [ADJ] [VERB].

i-Adjectives

Form	Meaning
大だいきめの (おおきめ)	bigger (than normal)
より大だいきい	bigger (than currently)
怪かいしげな (あやしげ)	seeming suspicious

Archaic Forms 古

Form	Meaning
広こうかろう = 広こういだろう	presumptive
広こうくなかろう = 広こうくないだろう	negative presumptive
広こうき (before a noun)	attributive
広こうし (end of sentence)	terminal

Expressions with Nouns 上

Context	Japanese	English
嘘 (うそ)	臭しゅうい (くさい)	smells like a lie
鳥ちょう (とり)	の如じょく (のごとく)	like a bird [古]
仕し事じ (しごと)	絡らくみ (からみ)	in connection with one's job [書]
失しつ礼れい (しつれい)	極きょくまりない (きわまりない)	appalling rudeness
迷めい惑わく (めいわく)	この上じょうない (このうえない)	unsurpassably annoying
夏か (なつ)	めく／めいた	becoming summer-like
田舎でんしゃ (いなか)	じみている	reeks of the countryside
—	もどき	pseudo-/rip-off/quack
自慢じまん (じまん)	たらしい	comes off as bragging
非難ひなん (ひなん)	がましい	verging on criticism
光こう栄えい (こうえい)	の至しり (のいたり)	the greatest honor
感かん激げき (かんげき)	の極きょくみ (のきわみ)	the most touching ~

Variation & Progress

Expressions which explain how or why something changes.

Circumstance	Expression	Reading	Meaning
some circumstance	N に即そくして	そくして	"in a manner befitting..."
some variable	N に応おうじて	おうじて	"(to alter) according to..."
	N に合あわせて	あわせて	"in order to match..."
something with length/duration	N に沿そって	そって	"along"
some process	N ~U につれて		"along with..." (2 things changing in parallel)
	N ~U にしたがって		(same as につれて)
some process or event	N ~U とともに		"accompanying..."
	N ~U に伴ともなって	ともなって	(same as とともに)

Miscellaneous Grammar

上〜とはいえ

having said that / nevertheless

Conjunction that introduces a contrasting or qualifying statement

上VERB〜と思いきや

thought that... but actually

Expected one thing but the opposite happened

上N〜にわたって / 〜にわたり

spanning / covering

Covers a wide area or long period

上N〜にまつわる

related to / concerning

Stories, legends, or topics associated with something

ともかく

anyway / regardless

Used to redirect or summarize

上とかく

tend to / be inclined to

Often carries a negative connotation

上N〜あるまじき

unbecoming of / should not

Behavior that is inappropriate or unacceptable for the stated role

Icons & Badges Reference

Usage Icons

話Used primarily in spoken Japanese

書Used primarily in written Japanese

男Used mostly by men

女Used mostly by women

子Used mostly by children

古Old / Archaic expression

硬Used in formal / stiff situations

!Use with caution (not for superiors)

!!Vulgar / expresses anger or disapproval

上Advanced (JLPT N2–N1)

★Reference-only (beyond JLPT scope)

↓Footnote

✕Incorrect usage

○Correct usage

Form Badges

NNoun

NONoun followed by the particle の

NANoun followed by な

TIMENoun indicating time

LOCNoun indicating location/place

ADJAdjective (i-adjective or na-adjective)

i-ADJi-Adjective (e.g. 高い)

na-ADJna-Adjective (e.g. 元気な)

VERB"Nounable" verb form

PASTPast-tense verb (〜た、〜ていた、etc.)

-U/-TAPresent or past verb (non-negative)

NAINegative form

-U/NAIPresent tense verb (regular or negative)

VERB+の"Nounable" verb form followed by の

SURUSuru-verb stem word (noun)

Verb Form Suffixes

-IVerb -I form (連用形)

-UVerb -U form (終止形)

-EVerb -E form (仮定形)

-OUVerb -OU form (意志形)

-TEVerb -TE form (て形)

-TAVerb -TA form (た形)

-TE+たVerb -TE form + past